Welcome to the Jungle
by Saturday
Summary: And with that I closed my eyes and pretended to black out. That’s about when the new kid walked around the corner. [slash, het, swearing, and tonedeaf singing]
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** I hate Guns N' Roses, but ya gotta admit that this song rocks.

**Disclaimer:** I own the school; that is it.

-----

Prologue

-----

**

Welcome to the jungle

We've got fun and games  
We got everything you want, honey, we know the names  
We are the people that can find whatever you may need  
If you got the money, honey, we got your disease

**

So you're the new guy, eh?  Not bad.  You don't look like the type of kid to get sent in here, but I'm not one to judge that kind of thing.  

You already met Principal Snyder, I'm sure.  Asshole, ain't he?  Everyone knows it---just don't say it when he's around.  Just general common sense.  Right-o, I knew you'd understand.  
   
          **

In the jungle

Welcome to the jungle  
Watch it bring you to your knees   
I wanna watch you bleed

**

Guess I have to show you around, don't I?  We should probably start with the general introduction: it says here that your name is Mark David, but you aren't gonna survive here with a name like that.

Hmm?  Specs?  Guess that'll have to do.  Better than Mark, anyways ... I'm Jack Kelly and I ain't even gonna tell you my real name.  Yeah, it's that bad---stop chuckling, you'd have changed your name too if you were raised with a name like mine.  I shudder just thinking about it.  
  
         **

Welcome to the jungle

We take it day by day  
If you want it you're gonna bleed but it's the price to pay

**

Well let's get the hell outta this office, I can't stand this place.  Here, follow me.  See the big brick buildings out the window?  Those are the dorms---you'll be staying in one of 'em ... Says here that you're in the third building from the left---yeah, the one completely covered in ivy---on the third floor, room number 238.  Here's your key, don't lose it.

Alright ... here's your uniform.  Yeah, I know it's ugly.  I think they made it as hideous as possible on purpose, just to humiliate us.  Stop laughing, I'm dead serious!  God, kid, you giggle a lot.  You're gonna get along with Dutchy, I'll tell ya that much ...  
  
         **

In the jungle 

Welcome to the jungle  
Feel my serpentine  
I wanna hear you scream

**__

We have seven classes a day.  A lot, I know.  Tight schedule; you have almost no time to get between your classes, and a lot of the classrooms are on the opposite sides of the school.  If you wanna survive here, ya gotta learn how to _run_.

Let's see ... yeah, I think I've covered everything I feel like going over right now.  They gave me this sheet with all of the information I'm supposed to tell you, but it's all pretty much bullshit so I'm gonna skip it and get to the point: this school is not fun.  Believe me.  I've been here for about a year and I've experienced just about everything there is to experience here.  Yeah, so maybe I broke a few rules ... I'm definitely not Snyder's favorite kid here, that's for sure.

Hmm, good point.  I don't think he really _has_ a favorite kid, does he?  
  
         **

Welcome to the jungle 

It gets worse here every day  
Ya learn to live like an animal in the jungle where we play  
If you hunger for what you see you'll take it eventually  
You can have everything you want but you better not take it from me

**__

Anyway, what I mean to say is---this is not an easy school to get through.  You've gotta make sure you stay clear of Snyder and keep a low profile when he's around, and then you've got your excruciatingly boring classes to worry about and the ... well, the rare verbal abuse from the teachers.

Nah, it never gets physical.

Well ... it hasn't for a while.  Not since last year.

Listen, I don't really wanna talk about it, ok?

Anyway---take your uniform and schedule---got your key?  Go and check out your room, Dutchy should be there---you're rooming with him, I think.  Number 238, third floor.  Yeah, alright, there ya go.  Good luck, kid, I'll see ya around.  

  
**

In the jungle

Welcome in the jungle

Watch it bring you to your knees

I wanna watch you bleed 

**


	2. Chapter One: New Kid

**Author's Note:** This is the second time I am writing this chapter, so it BETTER turn out the way I want it.  Grr.  Anyway---I just wanted to mention that I think this story will be kind of darker than my other ones, so don't expect too much Famous Williams humor in here.  (There will be a little, never fear! lol)  So yeah.  Just to let you know.

**Disclaimer: **I think the simplest way to put it would be that I own all of the female characters in this story and none of the males.  Unless I add some in at some point.  And I don't own any of the song lyrics.  In any case, please do not sue me for I AM AN ORPHAN GIRL, SHE IS HURRAH FOR THE ORPHAN GIRL!!  AND IT SOMETIMES IS A USEFUL THING TO BE AN ORPHAN GIRL, IT IS HURRAH FOR THE ORPHAN GIRL HURRAH FOR THE ORPHAN GIRL!

**PS:** I'm not really an orphan. Just hooked on "the Pirates of Penzance." :D

*****

Chapter One – New Kid

*****

Callahan Stewart 

I squeezed shampoo out of the bottle and rubbed it quickly into my dark hair, trying not to breathe through my nose.  Man, that stuff smells nasty.  "_Listen, baby_!" I started to sing to the shampoo bottle.  "_Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough, baby!_"  
  
I heard Maya answer from where she was braiding her hair, "_If you need me, call me, no matter where you are, no matter how far, don't worry baby!  Just call out my name, I'll be there in a hurry, you don't have to worry!_"  
  
I finished with the shampoo and rinsed out my hair.  "Aw, MAN! This school needs to get new shampoo, this stuff smells like shit."

"That's because it _is_ shit, Cal," said Lana.

"Yeah, I know ... I hate it here."

"Don't we all?" Maya finished braiding her hair and pulled on her uniform sweater.  "_'Cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough to keep me from getting to you!_"

"Ha!" I yelled.  "How 'bout there ain't no mountain high enough to get me to use this shampoo!"

"Cal," she laughed, "that's the worst parody I have ever heard."

"I know."  At least the conditioner smells all right.  It's supposed to be scented like lilies or something but it doesn't really so its just a form of relief from the shampoo.  "_Remember the day I set you free, I told you you could always count on me!  From that day on I made a vow, I'll be there when you want me, some way somehow!_"

"Callahan, baby, you're killing us all," said Parker in an uncanny impression of Spot Conlon.

"_Cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough!_" I continued, completely ignoring her, "_Ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough to keep me from getting to you!_"   
  


"Are you quite done?" said Parker.

"I quite am," I answered.  "Now cover thine eyes, dear ones, I'm coming out of the shower."

There aren't many girls at Sanders High school.  That's because essentially Sanders is a school for bad kids, and I'm sorry to say that there are generally more bad boys than girls.  (Aha!  Bad boys bad boys, whachya gonna do!  Heh heh ... ahem.)  I am one of the "bad girls", unfortunately, and I have been here for a couple of years.  It's living hell.

There are several other girls here (enough to fill up a dorm building or two), but my best friends are Maya Klein, Addison White, Parker Johnson, and Lana DeMelo.  And don't worry, we don't always sing "Ain't No Mountain High" while we are showering at the end of the day.  Our all-time record for no singing in the shower has to have been three days.  MAN that was difficult...

The four of us headed out of the bathroom fully dressed with sopping wet hair and towels.  At the same time, Skittery came out of the boys' bathroom across the hall.  "SKITTERY!" I yelled.

"CALLAHAN!" he yelled back.

"DID YOU HEAR US SINGING IN THE SHOWER?" I yelled.

"YES!" he yelled back.  "AND I HAVE COME TO A CONCLUSION!"

"AND WHAT IS THAT?" I yelled.

"THAT NONE OF YOU EXCEPT MAYA CAN SING!" he yelled.

I sank to my knees.  "What??" I gasped.  And with that I closed my eyes and pretended to black out.

That's about when the new kid walked around the corner.  Skittery was hopping up and down laughing hysterically with no shirt on, I was lying as if dead on the floor, and my friends were either trying to get me to stand up or laughing too hard to move.

I think the new guy was a little scared.  Honestly, I don't blame him.

*

**Specs David**

I decided not to comment on the commotion going on in the hall.  There was a pretty girl with dark brown hair who appeared to have fainted, a good-looking guy who was bouncing around laughing, and four other girls who looked torn between amusement at the situation and sympathy for me in my state of terror.

I cleared my throat awkwardly.  "Uh ... could somebody help me?  I'm looking for room 238 and I'm having some issues..."

"Hey, are you Dutchy's new roommate?" said the girl who had been on the floor, jumping up immediately.

"Um ... I think so."

"Well it's nice to meet you!"  She held out a strong brown hand and smiled broadly.  "The name's Callahan Stewart, but call me Cal.  Welcome to this pathetic excuse for a school."

"Don't say that!" said one of the other girls.

"And why shouldn't I?" said Cal.

"Because it's a stupid thing to say," said the girl with the black hair, leaning against the wall with her hands in her pockets.

Cal laughed.  "Thanks, Addy."  She nodded at the girl leaning against the wall.  "That moron back there is Addison White.  This is Lana DeMelo---" she pointed at the girl who had first spoken, who had a genuine smile and a pleasantly plump figure "---and back there wetting their pants are Maya Klein and Parker Johnson."

The shirtless boy cleared his throat loudly.  "I suppose I'm not important enough for you, am I?" he said to Cal.  She just smiled at him.  He rolled his eyes and stuck out his hand.  "Skittery Goorjian, nice ta meet ya."

"Uh ... hi," I said slowly.  A little overwhelmed.

"Oh yeah, you wanted to know where Dutchy's room is, didn't you?" said Lana suddenly.  "Here, go to the end of the hall and take a right and it should be the third door from the left ... ?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right," said Addison.

"Alright, thanks," I said gratefully.  Addison winked at me.  It was brief and for a minute I wondered if she had really done it---that girl kinda creeped me out.  "Nice meeting you guys, I'll see you around."

I headed down the hall and unlocked the door to my new dorm room.  Inside was a good-looking guy with pale blonde hair that kept falling into his face sitting at a desk.  He had a small CD player and it was playing "Stairway to Heaven" more quietly than I had ever heard that song played in my life.  It was crazy; it was the most intense part of the whole song and I could barely hear it.

The guy was singing along as he worked on some homework assignment, his nose about an inch from the book.

"Are those your glasses on the bed?" I asked.  "I'm assuming that's why you're practically kissing your book..."

The guy looked up and squinted at me.  "On the bed, eh?  Never would have thought to look there.  Good thing you told me before Maya came in and sat on them."  He got up and picked up his glasses, putting them on and sighing happily.  "Ah, the joys of sight!" he said happily.

"No better sensation than finding your glasses," I laughed.

He gave me the once over and smiled broadly.  "So you're my new roommate, eh?"

"Specs David, nice to meet you."

"_Man_ am I glad Rodent's gone," said the guy, looking intensely relieved.  "He was my old roommate---he had webbed fingers."  He immediately glanced at my hands (which I am glad to say are NOT webbed), and I smiled and put them in my pockets.

Man, does _everyone_ at this school leave big first impressions?

I nodded at the CD player, which was just finishing the song.  "So what's with the insanely quiet 'Stairway to Heaven'?"

"School rule, no loud music."  Dutchy shrugged and pressed stop on the player.  "Why---Kelly didn't give you the packet of rules?"

"No loud music?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Distracts people trying to study, theoretically."  He shrugged again.  He smiled at my startled expression.  "Bit scared?  Yeah, Sanders does that to people ... I'm still scared of the place, as a matter of fact."

There was a knock on the door.  "It's open!" Dutchy yelled.

The door swung open and Addison came in, sweeping her glossy black hair off her shoulders.  "Race just told me that Spot got detention again today," she said.  "Three to six."

"Are you kidding me?  _Again?_  What'd he do?"

She shrugged and put her hands in her pockets.  "He's getting sick of this place."

I wanted to ask her what kind of an answer that was, but I didn't.

Dutchy checked his watch.  "Well it's five forty five now, think we'd better go and get him.  He'll need to be taken home, y'know?"

I wanted to ask him why this Spot would need to be taken home, but I didn't.

I found out soon enough, anyway.  "Your first taste of Sanders," said Addison grimly, patting me on the back as we left the room.  "Should be fun, eh?"

It wasn't.

Trust me.

*

Addison White 

"We're here to pick up Gabriel Conlon---he was in a detention this afternoon from three to six?" I said, leaning forward against the counter.

The secretary behind the reception desk eyed me darkly.  I think I was getting a bit to familiar for her liking.  I always ended up here, either to actually be in detention or to pick up a friend, and the secretary hated anyone who showed up here too much.  "Gabriel Colon..." she muttered, looking down her list.  "Room 4."

"Thanks."  The three of us went quickly down the hall and stopped in front of Room 4.

"What do they _do _in detentions here?" Specs asked.  "My old school only had one detention room."

I smiled dryly and opened the door to the room.

There was a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling that cast a bright, hot light over the windowless room.  Crouched in the corner was my boyfriend, his knees pulled up to his chest and his head bowed.  The sleeves of his uniform were rolled up and the arm I could see had several reddish bruises and a large slash across the side.

"Spot?" said Dutchy quietly.

Spot didn't look up.  He didn't move.  His arms remained crossed over his knees and we could all hear his heavy breathing.

I sighed and crossed to the corner.  Gently, I took his forearm and pulled.  "Spot, it's time to go now."

Spot looked up at me, a sad, crooked smile on his lips.  He had a black eye and dried blood covering one side of his face, and he winced as the skin stretched when he moved his head.  "Addy," he groaned.

"S'ok, Spot, s'alright..." I helped Spot up, supporting him as he limped across the room.  His shirt was torn, revealing several long scars across his chest and stomach.  I could tell that that Specs kid was kind of shocked.  He must have gone to a reasonably normal school before Sanders.

He had a lot to learn.

Nobody asked questions as we helped Spot leave the building and get to the nearest dorm room, which was Parker's.  It had happened so many times during the past month that we all knew exactly what to do; Dutchy and I got Spot onto one of the beds as Parker got out the First Aid kit and sat down cross-legged next to him.

"It was Snyder this time," said Spot quietly, leaning back against the wall.  "He hits hard."

Nobody said anything.  Parker pulled her dark auburn hair back from her angular face and took out something to clean Spot's cuts with.  He bit back a yell when the solution touched his skin and grabbed the bed sheet, his knuckles white.

I glanced at Specs.  I think he had come to the conclusion that he really wasn't gonna like it here.

Best conclusion he has ever come to in his life, if you ask me.

*****

**Shoutouts!!**

**Trinny: **Thank you!  I hope you like this chapter too ... I think it's pretty different from the prologue, y'know? Thanks for reviewing!

**kattabean: **Ah, if it isn't my little Red Hot Chili Peppers hater?  And you love Guns N' Roses?  AAAAH!  (lol jk)  Omg, SPUTCHY!  Am I just incredibly deprived because I have never heard that before, or did you make that up?  Because that cracked me up.  (I also cracked up when Thumbsucker Snitch used the term "Snittery"...) lol, thanks for reviewing and this was NOT a sukky review!

**SpotLover421:** Yeah, the school is pretty creepy ... nothing like my school, thankfully, though.  Thanks for reviewing, I love ya!

**nani: **There's really not much I can say to that ... thank you for being interested?  lol.  Thanks for reviewing, anyway!

**Scout73:** Not a particularly long review, but you certainly get points for spelling "intriguing" correctly. ;-)

**Sapphy:** I love Specs/Dutchy, too.  I admit, I have a Specs fetish.  He's the greatest!  Anyway, thanks much for reviewing, I love ya!

**Bookey Elliot:** I love "Welcome to the Jungle", great song.  And can I just say THANK YOU to you and your sister for your reviews on my other story!  (Because you ARE sisters, right?)  They made me so incredibly happy!!! lol anyway thanks for the review on this story too! ;-)

*********

**Author's Note: **THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!!  I still dunno what I think of this story ... please leave a review!

-Saturday


End file.
